Maryland is home to some of the country’s wealthiest counties, like Montgomery and Howard. Yet the Lower Shore is home to the poorest county in the state — Somerset.

Maryland’s median household income is $76,067, but in Somerset County, the median household income is less than half of that at $35,886. The county’s pain doesn’t stop there, as the current poverty rate is 25.1 percent, with unemployment at 6.8 percent.

The county's lack of economic growth and progress can be attributed to a lack of leadership and commitment to the area by Delegate Charles Otto. Luckily for Somerset and the rest of District 38-A, the 2018 midterm elections offer a chance to elect a new leader in Kirkland Hall, a leader who is focused on addressing the district’s issues.

Hall is a lifelong civil rights and community activist from Somerset. In the last 40 years, he has served as both a coach and an educator at the University Of Maryland Eastern Shore. He has also served as president of the Somerset NAACP, and as a community leader on many legislative issues through the years.

Hall's platform includes a health care system that ensures all citizens have access to care, investment in education to bring businesses in, a livable wage for Somerset families and protecting the environment to build a suitability future.